For many students, especially seniors, the idea of preparing for and settling into college can be extremely overbearing. It’s a whole new world full of unknowns that can seem too overwhelming to navigate.
Thankfully, some Dallastown alumni offered some advice to ease this transition.
When it comes to preparing for the first semester of college, a big question can be what is even necessary to bring? According to Sophia Caltagirone, a senior at Parsons School of Design, this is where social media can be useful.
“TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest were my best friends in learning what I needed and what I didn’t need.”
Plenty of people will post their college advice online, so lots of information about what to bring and expect can be found there. Not only that, but there are often posts about specific colleges that show a glimpse of life on that campus.
Maxwell Iacono, a junior at Penn State Altoona, shared that it’s also possible to bring too much stuff:
“If you are living in a dorm, you really want less because you don’t have much space.”
There are more ways to prepare outside of what incoming freshmen bring to their dorms.
“I prepared by making sure that my FAFSA was submitted, and also making sure to apply for as many scholarships as possible– even far-fetched ones,” recalled Suresh Venkataraman, a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh.
Iacono agreed that the preparations to leave for college started early.
“The main thing was doing well in high school. After that, it took a lot of emotional prep for leaving home and new experiences.”
The truth is, being homesick is real! The amount of time it takes to settle in varies from person to person, but a routine can be found soon enough.
For Venkataraman, it took around 2 weeks, whereas Caltagirone found herself feeling at home right away.
When it comes to meeting new people, there are various ways to find people with similar interests and possible friends for life.
First and foremost, Olivia Newcomer, a 2024 Misericordia University graduate, recommends getting involved on campus.
“Your college will likely have a career fair in the first few weeks of school. There will be so many opportunities to become involved in clubs on campus, and that’s a great way to meet people and make friends.”
Beyond club fairs, social media can play a role in facilitating new friendships. Newcomer’s college had a Facebook group, and many colleges have similar groups on Instagram, as well. It also helps to interact with the people living in the same area as you.
“Going into college, I wish I had known that making friends is truly a lot easier than it seems,” Venkataraman expressed.
It’s important to remember that there’s plenty of time! While Newcomer had a best friend from before the start, she acknowledged that each person’s college journey isn’t set in stone from their first day.
“The friends you make your first days/weeks of college might not be the same friends you have by the end of college.” This is completely okay and applicable to high school as well.
As some additional advice, these Dallastown alumni also recommend going to the Professors’ office hours, getting tutoring if needed, and forming connections with the people involved in the college experience– such as community leaders.
While it’s scary to make such a big jump to a new chapter of your life, it’s important to remember that high school is only the beginning and the start of a better future.
After all, Caltagirone said, “Dallastown and frankly just high school is just a blip in my life story, and it doesn’t define who I am. I would have never thought that as a senior in high school, but now, almost four whole years past that, for me, that is my truth.”
If you have more college questions you would like answered, submit them to this Google form.
